Saturday, September 26, 2009

Something bothered me about Fr. Rosica's most recent lambasting of pro-lifers on Catholic Channel of Sirius Radio. Let me quote from the transcript:

"I had many people wishing my death, my demise, destruction and everything else. And I said to myself “And you are talking about life.” It has been a real lesson for all of us. We were floored at the hundreds of messages that breathed hate and wished death and also people delighting that Senator Kennedy would be in hell. I think that says something about we have more education to do."

First of all, if there really were people out there threatening Fr. Rosica or his staff, you should smarten up and repent!. That type of behaviour is despicable and totally unacceptable. No matter how profound our disagreement with Fr. Rosica, violence is not a solution.

That being said, I question the authenticity of Fr. Rosica's claim. You see, he didn't provide any evidence. He said there were "hundreds of messages". Surely he could publish a few to illustrate his point? I would be the first to condemn any threats against him. In fact, the police could use IP addresses to track down these people and prosecute them for death threats, which is a serious crime. But Fr. Rosica presents no evidence. (John Pacheco and LifeSite always present concrete evidence before they make any claims).

Also, during the same interview on the Catholic Channel, he said this about LifeSite:

"I will say very publicly to those listening - it is not credible, it does not speak for the Church, it is not ethical, it is not honest... For the 1/10 of kernel of truth that they purport to uncover (and there is truth in what they do) 9/10 is exaggeration."

That's a very personal attack. Yet once again, he presents no evidence. If 90% of the LifeSite coverage is exaggeration and is not honest, surely he could find plenty of examples, right? So where's the evidence, Father?Lack of evidence... Hmmm... Those words sound familiar... Ah yes, we witnessed the same chronic illness this summer with the CCCB's denials of the Development and Peace (D&P) scandal. The bishops' report just stated that they were innocent, without addressing a single item of the mountain of evidence presented against D&P's partners. That doesn't make for a very convincing argument. Without evidence, it's just a lot of hot air.

In fact, making such bold accusations against LifeSite, without any facts to back it up, could very well constitute defamation and libel. Father Rosica is lucky that LifeSite will not engage in a lawsuit against another member of the Church, out of obedience to the wise advice of St. Paul to avoid taking Church disputes before secular authorites (see1 Cor 6: 1-11).

Lastly, Fr. Rosica accuses LifeSite of doing the work of Satan. LifeSite has good company, because that's what the scribes and Pharisees used to say of Jesus:

"But some of them said, 'He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.'" (Luke 11:15)

Jesus had a good comeback for the scribes:

"If I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore will they be your judges." (Luke 11:19)

To paraphrase: If LifeSite is doing the work of Satan, then what is Salt and Light doing?

That settles it. Let me pull out my cheque book and make a donation to LifeSite right away.

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About me

Some people would call me a "Magisterial Catholic," which means that I accept all the teachings of the Catholic Church and I look to the Pope for my marching orders. I am actively involved in pro-life activities.